Chapter 11 - The Woman in the Passenger Seat
The Range Rover never reached Canada.
State police boxed it in near Albany after a forty-mile pursuit.
Elaine surrendered.
Marjorie did not.
She locked herself inside the passenger side and refused to open the door until officers broke the window.
Gavin and Sabrina were released pending charges connected to the garage assault because prosecutors wanted more evidence before stacking the larger conspiracy case.
"If I arrest Gavin too early on the financial crimes, his attorneys will attack every search and every statement," she told him. "I want the whole structure."
"While he walks around free."
"Under surveillance."
"He put his hands on my daughter."
"And we have that on video. Trust me."
"I trust paperwork less than I did yesterday."
She claimed Gavin had hired her for "document assistance." She admitted preparing false medical forms and notary pages but denied knowing anyone planned to drug Sienna.
Then Park showed her the sedative order.
Sienna was discharged under strict instructions to rest.
She chose to return to Nico's estate.
"I want Mila somewhere she feels safe," she said.
Mila walked into her old bedroom that evening and stopped in front of the mirror.
"I'm ugly now," she whispered.
"Look at me."
"Hair grows. Courage grows too. And you have more courage than anybody in this house."
"Even you?"
"Especially me."
Mila considered that, then handed him the cap.
"I don't want it."
"Then we don't need it."
Later, while Sienna slept, Nico sat in his study with Daniel and Thomas going through financial records.
Northline had been used to siphon money for eighteen months.
"They've been planning this almost three years," Daniel said.
"There's one more account. It isn't in the Cole name."
The beneficiary was S. Ferrante Family Services LLC.
"I've never heard of it."
"The initials match Sienna Ferrante."
"She's been Sienna Cole for six years."
"Exactly."
Someone had created a company designed to look like it belonged to her.
"They weren't only stealing."
"They were building a trail that ends at your daughter."
"I know why."
Sienna stood there barefoot, one hand under her belly.
"Gavin told me three months ago that if his life ever went down, he'd make sure I went down first."
"You never told me that."
"I didn't understand what he meant."
"I do now."
On the screen was a newly delivered voicemail.
From Gavin.
Sienna pressed play.
May you like
His voice filled the room.
"You have until tomorrow night to come home. If you don't, I'll make sure your father sees what you did with his money."
